INEC Chairman says Politicians are Buying PVCs from Voters

Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the commission has credible information that some politicians are buying PVCs from voters.

“A new method of vote-buying is being devised. We have received credible information that some partisan actors are now going round buying up PVCs from voters or financially inducing them to collect the VINs on their PVCs. In some instances, telephone numbers and details of bank accounts of voters have been collected. By collecting the PVCs, their intention may be to deprive the voters of voting since no one can vote without the PVC. By collecting their phone numbers and bank details, the intention is to induce voters by electronic transfer of funds to their accounts since it will be difficult to buy votes at polling units,” he was quoted as saying.